美国中场林赛·希普斯在华盛顿特区奥迪球场举行的周六国际友谊赛中，与西班牙的埃娃·纳瓦罗争夺球权。
USA midfielder Lindsey Heaps challenges Spain’s Eva Navarro for the ball during Saturday’s international friendly at Audi Field in Washington DC.
吉哈罗和纳瓦罗在开场14分钟内进球，美国中场和防守失误被西班牙暴露。约汉内斯失点，美国反扑未果。不到一年后，美国和西班牙几乎肯定将以夺冠的头两名热门身份出现在巴西的女子世界杯上。西班牙在过去60周里一直占据国际足联排名榜首，是卫冕冠军；排名第二的美国则在2024年巴黎奥运会上夺得金牌。
Guijarro and Navarro score in opening 14 minutes US midfield and defensive lapses exposed by Spain Yohannes misses penalty as US fightback falls short In less than a year’s time, the United States and Spain will almost certainly arrive in Brazil as the top two contenders to win the Women’s World Cup. Spain, holders of the top spot in Fifa’s rankings for the past 60 weeks, are the defending champions; the second-ranked US won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
本月两队之间的两场友谊赛正在进行，但带有一些限制。双方都因伤缺席了几名最重要的球员。巴西的揭幕战还有258天。西班牙已经锁定参赛资格，但美国仍需通过下个月开始的地区赛事实际晋级世界杯。
This month’s pair of friendlies between the two sides are taking place with caveats. Both sides are missing several of their most important players to injuries. The opening match in Brazil is 258 days away. Spain have booked their place, but the US still have to actually qualify for the World Cup, through a regional tournament that begins next month.
即使没有全主力阵容，这两支球队的对决依然引人注目。而在他们两场友谊赛的首场——周六在华盛顿特区进行的比赛中，西班牙占据上风，在开场14分钟内连进两球，以2-0获胜。
Even without full-strength rosters, a meeting between these two teams is a compelling bill. And in their first of two friendlies, on Saturday in Washington DC, Spain had the upper hand, scoring twice in the first 14 minutes of a 2-0 win.
这是两队第五次交手，也是自2022年10月11日以来的首次交手——在那之前，西班牙才刚刚突破并赢得了2023年女子世界杯。卫冕冠军利用了美国的防守失误和中场困难。在埃玛·海耶斯执教下，美国首次落后两球后，下半场表现有所改善，但边缘失误和被扑救的点球让他们未能得分。
In just the fifth meeting between the two sides and the first since 11 October 2022 – before Spain broke through to win the 2023 World Cup – the reigning champions took advantage of defensive lapses and the US midfield’s struggles. After trailing by two goals for the first time under Emma Hayes the Americans played an improved second half, but miscues at the margins and a stopped penalty kept them scoreless.
在许多方面，周六的比赛以及周二在宾夕法尼亚州切斯特的重赛更像是压力测试，而非巨头之间的碰撞——或是值得警报的原因。埃玛·海耶斯今年有意安排赛程，让美国队面对尽可能多的顶级对手。美国队在三月份三次对阵日本，赢了两场输了一场，并在六月份在巴西进行了两场客场友谊赛，战成平手。周六是美国队首次在主场迎战国际足联排名世界第一的球队。
In many ways, Saturday’s game and the rematch on Tuesday in Chester, Pennsylvania, are more stress tests than clashes of titans – or causes for alarm bells. Emma Hayes has been intentional this year in crafting a calendar that pits the US against as much elite competition as possible. The Americans played Japan three times in March, winning two and losing one, and split a pair of away friendlies against Brazil in June. Saturday was the first time the US ever played the world No 1 in Fifa’s rankings on home soil.
如果双方都能以接近全主力阵容出战，这场比赛或许能更好地预览一场潜在的世界杯对决，但本周这种对决已被排除。美国队后防核心中卫娜奥米·吉尔马和中场萨姆·科菲——两位对美国防守体系最为关键的球员——因伤缺阵。西班牙方面，两次金球奖得主艾塔娜·博纳马蒂、中场维基·洛佩斯、前锋马里奥纳·卡尔德特以及门将卡塔·科尔均因伤缺席；前锋克劳迪娅·皮纳和中卫马皮·莱昂周五退出了训练营。
A matchup with both sides closer to full strength would have perhaps been more instructive as a preview of a potential World Cup meeting, but such a clash had been ruled out this week. Center-back Naomi Girma and midfielder Sam Coffey, the two players most vital to the US defensive spine, are out with injuries. Spain are missing two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí, midfielder Vicky Lopez, forward Mariona Caldentey and goalkeeper Cata Coll are out injured; striker Clàudia Pina and center-back Mapi León withdrew from camp on Friday.
尽管西班牙缺阵名单较长，但影响并未显现。他们在第3分钟就由帕特里希亚·吉哈罗打入一记20码外的世界波，取得领先。美国队在一次失误后难以重组防守阵型，留给巴塞罗那中卫巨大空间。
If the lengthy list of absentees affected Spain, it didn’t show. They went ahead in the third minute on a 20-yard screamer by Patri Guijarro. The US struggled to assemble their shape after a turnover and left the Barcelona midfielder with significant space.
第11分钟，西班牙再次利用防守失误扩大比分。萨尔马·帕拉卢埃洛在左路单挑蒂尔纳·戴维森，随后横传至无人盯防的埃娃·纳瓦罗脚下，她一触即发，完成跨步破门。丢球后，美国队全队11人在禁区外聚集了几分钟。
The second goal came just 11 minutes later, the result of another defensive breakdown. Salma Paralluelo isolated Tierna Davidson on the left side and sent a cross to a wide-open Eva Navarro, who fired it for a one-touch finish on the run. All 11 US players huddled above the box for several minutes after conceding.
美国队在上半场的表现一直不佳，出现了失误和过度解围。罗丝·拉维尔试图在快攻中将球横传给索菲亚·威尔逊和阿莉莎·汤普森，但两名球员的跑位时机把握不好，球滚出了底线，奥迪球场的观众发出了叹息。威尔逊在上半场的几次最佳射门击中门柱后偏出。中场平衡问题——拉维尔、莉莉·约汉内斯和林赛·希普斯在前65分钟的表现——这一问题早在海斯时代之前就已存在，再次暴露。
The US’s connections looked off throughout the first half, from giveaways and overhit clearances. Rose Lavelle attempted to lay off a forward pass with Sophia Wilson and Alyssa Thompson on the break, but both players mistimed their runs and the ball rolled out of bounds to a groan from the Audi Field crowd. Wilson’s best attempts of the half hit the post and rolled wide. The issues in the midfield balance – for the first 65 minutes, Lavelle, Lily Yohannes and Lindsey Heaps – that predate the Hayes era were evident again.
下半场，美国队在调整了高位逼抢后表现得更好、更有条理。西班牙队在下半场未能制造一次有威胁的射门。威尔逊认为自己在第53分钟为美国队打进了首粒进球，但视频回放后被判越位。第58分钟，特里尼蒂·罗德曼在汤普森传中后尝试垫射，但被扑出。
The Americans looked improved and collected in the second half after making adjustments to their high press. Spain did not produce a shot on target in the second half. Wilson thought she had scored the US’s first goal in the 53rd minute, but it was waved for offside after video review. Trinity Rodman’s attempted tap-in on a cross from Thompson in the 58th minute was saved.
第67分钟，美国队赢得点球，因为威尔逊在禁区内引起了纳蒂亚·拉莫斯的犯规。主罚者是约汉内斯——这是一个令人惊讶的选择，因为这位17岁的球员在阿贾克斯和里昂女足的四个赛季中从未尝试过点球。威尔逊是波特兰荆棘队的常规点球手，在NWSL中点球罚进11次，全部命中。南克拉雷斯扑出了约汉内斯的假动作点球，美国队仍未取得进球。
The US earned a penalty in the 67th minute after Wilson drew a foul by Natalia Ramos in the box. The taker was Yohannes – a surprise choice, given the 17-year-old has never attempted a penalty in four seasons at Ajax and OL Lyonnes. Wilson, a regular taker for the Portland Thorns, is a perfect 11 for 11 on penalties in the NWSL. Nanclares saved Yohannes’s stutter-step attempt and the US remained off the board.
前锋马洛里·斯旺森和中场阿什利·桑切斯是下半场的替补球员，两人均在长期缺席后回归赛场。斯旺森在产假后时隔710天重返国家队，而桑切斯则在北卡罗来纳勇气队的出色NWSL赛季中表现突出，被召回国家队，这是她自2023年10月以来首次代表美国队出场。她在第88分钟曾有一次机会，在汤普森的传中后尝试射门，但脚与球接触时滑倒，未能得分。
Forward Mallory Swanson and midfielder Ashley Sanchez were among the second-half substitutes, both returning to the field after lengthy absences. Swanson made her first game appearance in 710 days after taking time away when she gave birth, while Sanchez was recalled back to the national team amid a strong NWSL season with the North Carolina Courage and played for the US for the first time since October 2023. She nearly scored off a cross in the 88th minute but slid as her foot connected with the ball.
补时阶段，西班牙队因阿特内亚·德卡斯蒂略被红牌罚下（拉头发），只剩10人应战。
Spain went down to 10 players in stoppage time after a red card for a hair pull was awarded to Athenea de Castillo.
进入这个窗口，海耶斯表示，发展和进步比胜负更重要。她和美国工作人员将负责评估这场比赛在该标准上的位置。周二的重赛将提供一个确定结果的机会。
Entering this window, Hayes said that development and improvement were more important than wins or losses. She and the US staff will be the ones to rate where this match falls on that scale. Tuesday’s rematch will offer a chance for the result.